ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wax — to grow
  3. file — a document
  4. rash — a series
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bound — certain
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — thin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. file — a line of people
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bulb — for light
  18. file — a tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com